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The Golden Ocean

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About this listen

 The first novel Patrick O’Brian ever wrote about the sea – and the precursor to the famous Aubrey-Maturin series.

The Golden Ocean is the first novel Patrick O’Brian ever wrote about the sea. The novel shares the same sense of excitement and the rich humour of the Aubrey-Maturin novels, invoking the eloquent style and attention to historical detail that O’Brian readers admire so much.

The protagonist of this story is Peter Palafox, son of a poor Irish parson, who signs on as a midshipman, never before having seen a ship. He is a fellow who would have delighted the young Stephen Maturin or Jack Aubrey … and quarrelled with them as well. Together with his life-long friend Sean, Peter sets out to seek his fortune, embarking on a journey of danger, disappointment, foreign lands and excitement.

Written in 1956, this is a tale certain to please not only the many admirers of O’Brian, but any reader with an adventurous soul.

©2023 Patrick O’Brian (P)2023 Simon and Schuster Audio Action & Adventure Genre Fiction Historical Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Sea Adventures Thriller & Suspense Fiction Adventure

Critic reviews

"If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive... They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action." (Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph)

"My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well." (David Mamet)

"One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time... Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed." (Max Hastings, Evening Standard)
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really enjoyed the book. especially the diverse characters and descriptions of key locations visited by the ship.

A must read for anyone interested in Ansons voyage

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After a slow start this story got going and a great take of life in 18th century Royal Navy.

Patrick O'brian at his best

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I have read the entire Aubrey Maturin series and loved it. This , I believe, was O’Briens first foray into naval historical novels. Whilst I mostly enjoyed the writing I found it patchy. There are times when he employed ‘time hopping’ technique whereby you discover something major has happened and then he goes back and explains it. I wish authors would just relate the story chronologically. It may me feel I must have fallen asleep and missed a section. There are also some passages where conversations are related at too much length and detail.
The narrator was excellent.
Overall I enjoyed the story but he definitely honed his craft to make his subsequent books more evenly paced.

A little patchy

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Very enjoyable and couldn't put it down. Lovely Irish voices and descriptions of the sailing.

Really good

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Telling the story of epic factual events through the eyes of some of the most lowly participants makes for a very engaging approach to history. Brilliantly written.

A Charming Read

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